Improvement in boot-and-shoe-heeling machines



G. W. GL|DDEN.-

Boot and Shoe Heeling Machines.

Pate nted Feb. 25

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Mme I AM PHOTO-UTHOGIMPHIC co. riflesaanuds moms) STATES cnxnnns WQGLIDDEN, or LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 136,233, dated February 25, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. GLIDDEN, of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Machines for Heeling Boots and Shoes, &c.; and I do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms part of this specification, is a description of my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

The invention relates to a new method of operating the nail-driving or lift-compressing mechanism of heeling-machines; and consists, primarily, in the combination with a suitable rest or support, upon which the heel is supported, of a driver fixed to or forming part of the stem or rod of a piston working in a cylinder connected with an air exhaust or vacuumchamber, and a suitable valvular mechanism, by operating which the piston-chamber is connected with the vacuum-chamber (to cause the piston to be driven down) or with the atmosphere to permit the piston to rise, a suitable spring, weight, or other device being also preferably used to overbalance the weight of the piston and its attachments, and raise the driver when air is let into the cylinder.

The drawing represents, in side and sectional elevation, a machine embodying my invention.

a denotes a stand, having an arm, I), through which extends a vertical rod, 0, bearing upon its top a rest or support, cl, which may be made vertically adjustable. Over this rest is a last or driver, 0, which is fixed to a rod, f, or forms part of or is fixedly connected with said rod. This rod passes through a cylinder, g, and bears a piston, h, which reciprocates vertically in the upper part of the cylinder. The cylinder is preferably made in two parts or chambers, i k, separated by a diaphragm, 1, upon which, as a valve-seat, rests a valve, m, controlling valve-seat passages n, the piston playing in. the chamber i above the valve, and the chamber k connecting with the chamber 41 at proper times by movement of the valve. The lower chamber opens from a vacuum-chamber, 0, from which air is practically exhausted by a suitable air-exhausting pump." Such pump is preferably connectly directly with the machine, and is so shown in the drawing. 9' denotes the pump-cylinder, q, the valve r, the

piston; and s, the pistonvalve, the valve q opening as the piston descends and draws the air from the chamber 0, and the valve q closing and the piston-valve 8 opening as the piston rises. The piston may be operated by a crank-wheel, t, connected to the piston by the link a. The valve m is arranged to move rotatively, and is fixed to the top of a sleeve, r, surrounding the rod f, at the bottom of which is a hand-wheel, 20. By turning this wheel the valve may be moved in one direction to connect the passages n and valve-passages, or in the opposite direction to cut off connection between them, and by means of suitable airpassages (or passages 01 y) connection is made between the atmosphere and the chamber '1' beneath the piston h, when the connection be tween the chambers z k is cut off, the connection between the passages 00 g being out 011' by the movement of the valve that connects the chambers i It.

To operate the machine, air is first exhausted from the chamber 0, the valve on being closed. Then the shoe is placed on the last 0, and the heel on the support (I. The shoe and heel being in position, the wheel is turned and the valve on opened. The vacuum-chamber is thus connected with the piston-chamber c, the piston being at its highest position, held there by connection with a lever, j, and weight 2, as shown in the drawing. The connection of the chambers i It causes the piston h to be driven down forcibly by the pressure of air upon the top of the piston, and the driver being forced down with the piston drives in the nails projecting from the heel, or compresses the heel-lifts placed beneath the driver upon the support; or acts to drive or compress any devices or material occupying the space between the driver and the support. When the driver has been thus actuated the wheel is turned back, the valve m closes and cuts off communication between the chambers 1 k, and the passages as 3 are brought into connection, letting air into the chamber ibeneath the piston h. Pressure of air being then equal on both sides of the piston, the weight 2 will raise the piston and driver.

From the above description it will be seen that when the blow is struck, by the descent A'IIENT OFFICE;

of the driver, the air or other gaseous agent used as the motor affords an elasticcushion, so that the driver self-adapts its blow to the thickness of heel without any need of appliances for adjusting to heels of different thicknesses, the distance to which the driver shall descend being governed entirely by the resistance offered by the heel or object placed upon the rigid anvil or bed. A less rigid blow is likewise given than is attainable when an unvarying range of motion is imparted to the driver by positively measured movements of rigid mechanism; and this, in working upon some classes of shoes, is an important desidcratum.

I do not herein claim the details of mechanism shown.

I claim- The combinatiomin a heeling-machine, of a driving mechanism and a piston actuated by air, steam, or equivalent force, for the purpose of an elastic blow.

U. XV. GLIDDEN.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS GOULD, M. W. FROTHINGHAM. 

